First Indian On Moon By 2040, Airforce Pilots Under Training For Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO Chief

ISRO News:  After the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Indian Space Agency (ISRO) is preparing for its next significant leap — sending an Indian astronaut to the moon, as announced by ISRO Chairman S Somnath on Tuesday. In a recently published article, the ISRO chief stated that ISRO is going all out to make this dream a reality by 2040.

The Indian Space Research Organisation is presently focused on the country's first manned mission, Gaganyaan, with four Indian Air Force pilots selected for training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. The accomplished chief of India's esteemed space agency further said that Gaganyaan would be the first step towards manned space exploration by the country.

“Looking ahead, ISRO aims to take the next step in space exploration with the Gaganyaan programme, planning to launch a crew of 2 to 3 Indian astronauts into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for up to three days before safely returning them to a predefined site in Indian waters,” the article reads.

Talked About Mission Details

Delving further into the mission details, Somnath said that the manned space mission involves the development of critical technology, including a human-rated launch vehicle (HLVM 3), a crew module (CM), and a service module (SM). There is an orbital module suitable for human habitation. The Crew Module is a habitable space for the crew in space with an Earth-like environment and is designed for safe re-entry. Safety measures also include a Crew Escape System (CES) for emergencies.

The first development flight of the test vehicle (TV-D1) was launched on October 21, 2023, and successfully demonstrated the Crew Escape System. The crew module was then separated and recovered safely by the Indian Navy from the Bay of Bengal. Somnath said that the success of this test flight is important for the human space mission.

Hailed Aditya L-1, India's Maiden Solar Mission

ISRO chief also commented upon the success of the Aditya L1, saying that India's first solar exploration mission is also an important mission for the country and the world. It is conducting studies on the Sun from a location called Lagrange Point-1, which will showcase the country's capability in both lunar and solar research. Somnath said that the spacecraft is on its way towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point-1 (L-1), about 15 lakh km from the Earth, where it will be placed in the halo orbit in January 2024.

The Indian Space Station To Be Operational By 2035
Somnath said that the Prime Minister will promote India's role at the global level. To further strengthen its presence, it has set ambitious targets such as operationalising the Indian Space Station by 2035 and interplanetary exploration featuring the Venus Orbiter Mission and Mars Lander. He expressed confidence that India's space program will reach new heights in the coming years.